Phulkopi Diye Moonger dal and Oal Bhate

Phulkopi diye moonger dal
Soul Foods, this is what I like to call phulkopi diye moonger dal.I do think dal and rice is the most simple and satisfying meal one can eat and never get tired off ,isn't.

Simple is better and soul refershing. Moonger dal and begun bhaja( brinjal pieces fry) is a simple combination but the taste is just heavenly.Moong dal is one such a staple dal in Bengali menu, one can get so many other options to include also like -there is korola diye moong dal( bitter gourd moong dal), tok dal with raw mango pieces and one can never forget the evergreen delicious macher matha diye moong dal. There is this simple recipe for moong dal with fried small cauliflower pieces which finds it's way to our weekly menu regularly and this taste great with warm cooked rice.My kind of soul food.

Method and Ingredients
In a kadai /saucepan, roast approx 1 cup of mong dal to little golden brown.
Wash the lentil thoroughly in water
Now pressure cook the dal, make sure its’not mushy. (Or you may cook the dal in a separate saucepan with water upto 2-3 cups)
In a separate saucepan, add oil, fry the cauliflower pieces for some time
Now take it out , add in 1 tsp of turmeric powder and salt to the cooked dal.
Add some more oil in a saucepan, temper it with 1 tsp of cumin seeds, 1 dry red pepper, 2 tsp of ginger paste or you may add in finely chopped fresh ginger.you may add in half chopped tomatoes also.

Transfer this to the cooked dal.
Now add fried cauliflower pieces, cook at low till all incorporates well.
Add in 2 tsp of ghee or butter (optional )
You may add in some chopped coriander leaves for garnishing.

Oal bhate (mashed elephant's foot/suran with mustard-green chilly paste)
you all must be wondering what is bhate , that means vegetables cooked in rice.When there were no pressure cooker, Bengali ladies would throw in some peeled and chopped potatoes,ool ,Korola(bitter gourd) while the parboiled rice would be cooking in big rice pots , by the time rice is properly cooked ,the vegetables also got cooked to softness,since the vegetables are cooked with rice this way,so the name Bhate.

There is korola/kumro bhate(bittergourd/pumpkin),Aloo korola bhate, aloobegun bodi bhate,and phulkopi bhate, maan bhate and even dal/lentil bhate (for which some even have very small steel lucnh- box to make it) etc..

The bhate recipes are real soul foods, simple,quick and easy on stomach, so if you are tired of eating spicy and hot foods, its always a good option to prepare the vegetables this way or rather steam it and clean the system.Steamed vegetables are low in calories also .

Oal /elephants’ foot/suran
2 tsp of mustard powder (available in packets now) or you may make mustard –green chilly paste
1 tbs of mustard oil and salt as per taste
Method
Pressure cook the oal /suran.let it cool, mash it with mustard oil and mustard green chilly paste and salt as per taste .Start your Bengali meal with oal bhate.
Mustard-green chilly paste
Grind the mustard seeds (approx 3-4tsp) in grinder , add in 2-3 green chillies , 1 garlic and little bit of mustard oil and water , grind to a smooth paste , or you may use store brought mustard powder packet (sunrise brand) , dissolve in 2 tsp of mixture in little warm water prior to making oal bhate , mix in with the mashed oal and salt as per taste .
Similarly you may make maan bhate (another variety of suran) also.
These taste great with warm cooked rice.

Happy Cooking Friends